Coles is massively expanding its "Quiet Hour" Program for shoppers with autism

The supermarket chain introduced a weekly "Quiet Hour" late last year in 70 stores across the country. Each Tuesday morning from 10.30am to 11.30am, store lights are dimmed, music is turned off, and the volume on scanners and registers is set to the lowest possible level, while trolley collection is suspended and use of the PA system is reserved for emergencies only.

The initiative was devised in partnership with Autism Spectrum Australia, and is designed to cater to people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or anyone else who may have difficulty with bright, loud, crowded environments.

Now, Coles is bringing the program to another 103 stores: 56 in New South Wales, 27 in Queensland, and 20 in Western Australia. There are also plans to introduce Quiet Hours at additional stories in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT in the coming months.

“We’ve listened to our customers, and our store teams have worked hard to make our stores more welcoming and responsive to the needs of the local communities in which we operate,” Coles managing director John Durkan told news.com.au.